CYP Now - Analysis: Every Child Matters - Government resists MPs' pressure

The Government has published its long-awaited response to the Education and Skills Select Committee report on Every Child Matters. But while it maintains it is doing all it can to further the agenda, some campaigners are disappointed. Ruth Smith reports.

Information sharing is at the heart of the Every Child Matters agenda.

So when the Education and Skills Select Committee questioned whether the estimated costs of several hundred million pounds for the IT systems could be justified, eyebrows were raised (Children Now, 13-19 April).

The Government published its long-awaited response to the committee's report last week and insisted IT-based child indexes were an important tool to make frontline services more effective.

But it added:"The decision to proceed to implementation will depend upon ministers being satisfied that a robust business case, analysing costs and benefits, has been made."

"This is an area where we should be looking at a national solution rather than 150 local authorities reinventing the wheel," responds Kevin Crompton, chairman of the Association of Directors of Education and Children's Services.

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